A TOWN Hall plan to clamp down on cheering, booing and hand-clapping at council meetings has been attacked by a magistrate.

Jim Pearson, a JP in Warrington, said: "The attitude of these councillors is breathtaking.

"They want the public to vote for them - and then shut up and put up with unpopular decisions without a whimper.""

Mr Pearson was one of the leaders of a campaign to block plans for a restaurant complex in Victoria Square, Stockton Heath - and town hall chiefs have cited the campaign as one of the reasons for the clampdown on noisy behaviour at meetings.

Planning chief John Earle said clapping and voicing support or opposition were not conducive to the running of a meeting.

"There should be respect shown to those speaking for or against planning applications," he said.

"There will always be occasions when aggrieved members of the public disagree with the committee and express their feelings accordingly, but, even taking this into account, there have been occasions when the committee's own exacting standards have proved difficult to achieve."